Of Gods and Blackbirds
by fluffy pantoufle
Summary: Sequel to "Between Lotus Flowers." By nothing short of a miracle, Alex has been reunited with Lara. However, the tentative road to normalcy is destroyed when Sam is stolen by one of the old gods. The stakes are high and failure may result in the end of all things. Very loosely inspired by Neil Gaiman's "American Gods." Hard T rating for language, violence, suggestive themes. R/R!
1. Chapter 1

_Of Gods and Blackbirds_

by: fluffy pantoufle

**disclaimer: **i am in no way, shape, or form affiliated with crystal dynamics, square enix, or anything of the like. i'm just borrowing the characters and such - i'll put them back when i'm done, i promise.

also, i've drawn inspiration from neil gaiman, who is seriously a god amongst men in his own right. i am not him, merely an admirer of his work.

**a/n: **hello! this is my sequel to _between lotus flowers, _if you didn't already know. just a heads up - i've currently set it at a T rating, though it may jump up to M at some point depending on violence, sexual themes, etc... i haven't decided how far i want to take the story in that regard, though i do have a loose plot framework.

definitely feel free to review and tell me what you think about any aspect of the story! this first chapter is all about alex and lara - i wanted to have them feel each other out a bit before things really get rolling. i don't think of either character as having a ton of experience with the opposite sex, so there's awkwardness abound.

enjoy!

* * *

"_Went up on a mountain,_

_There I made my stand._

_Went up on a mountain,_

_There I made my stand._

_Rifle on my shoulder_

_And a dagger in my hand, poor boy,_

_I been all around this world_

_So hang me, oh hang me_

_I'll be dead and gone."_

Have you ever had one of those days where you could actually feel the threads of your life unraveling, bit by bit? That's what being on Yamatai felt like, but spread out over the course of about a week - honestly, I don't know if that's better or worse. I don't know if the descent into madness is better dealt with if you accept it without a second thought, or if you're forced to contemplate what you could become as it gnaws at your insides.

Do you ever really want to know the inner workings of the demons that haunt you?

I think that dude Mathias accepted it pretty easily, but he also didn't have the opportunity to assimilate back into the real world. His madness was allowed to consume him, bones and all, fueled by his Solarii and the fact that they were isolated from everything else. Not to mention the fact that Himiko was very, very real and very, very pissed off. That's a fucking breeding ground for crazy if I ever saw one, and I've got no interest in seeing one ever again.

Lara, though... She was resilient, far stronger than most people ever dream to be. Even as I watched her sweep the broken glass from her living room floor, tears streaming down her cheeks, I could sense the fire in her as it grew. She'd wrapped her hand in a strip of cloth to control the blood seeping from her knuckles, but from across the room I could still see the spots of crimson as the wound oozed. I noticed that she paid it no mind - the blood could have been dripping onto the floor and she probably wouldn't have cared. She would have just tried to sweep it up with the glass.

But for all her strength and resolve, I also knew that Lara was still unstable. She needed help channeling her anger in a world that didn't seem as kind as it did prior to boarding the _Endurance_. Or, you know...a world not filled with terrifying, folkloric, magical creatures. That didn't exist anymore, and that's enough to screw with anyone's head right there, let alone having to claw and murder your way to freedom.

All of a sudden, I began to realize just _how _important Sam was to Lara, at least in this new, terrifying post-Yamatai life. She was Lara's connection to the outside world, to normalcy...to not falling into a pit of madness and anger and self-deprecation and all the garbage that Lara had been torturing herself with for the past several weeks. Like it or not, she was the one thing that was both shielding Lara from the pain and drawing her back out into society. Sam had no choice but to assume that role - obviously, it was the least she could do to look out for Lara, given the circumstances.

But did she know that _this_ could happen?

"Penny for your thoughts? ...are those still something that humans use?"

"Thoughts, or pennies?" I sighed. "Both end up in a jar at some point, not being used."

Jane - the fox-girl with the brilliant head of fiery red hair - frowned in confusion. I guess _kitsunes _didn't often use figurative language. "...I'm sorry about your friend, Alex."

"I know."

"I swear to you and Lara, I'll find some clues tonight - someone in this city knows who took her."

"I know."

She wrung her hands nervously in her lap. Though I couldn't see them, I knew that nine golden fox tails twitched and swayed behind her back. If someone had told me pre-death that mythical vulpine creatures were an actual _thing, _I would've laughed in their faces - well, I would've done some strategic Googling first, then laughed in their faces.

God, what else was I ignorant of in this world? Part of me felt validated, all those years of conspiracy theories and the occult and science fiction potentially legitimized. Another part of me was just terrified.

And yet another part of me wondered just _how _intwined Jane was in this whole situation. "I didn't get a chance to ask you earlier, Jane," I said. We were both sitting on the sofa (myself fully clothed, by the way - just in case you were wondering if that ever happened), and now I turned my shoulders squarely to face her. "How did you get your ninth tail?"

Jane was many things, but stupid certainly wasn't one of them. Her brows crinkled. "Oh, come on," she muttered. "You don't think that I had something to do with _this_, do you?"

"I don't know what I think right now," I whispered, attempting to keep my tone even. "I'm just asking you a simple question."

She rose to her feet. "Simple? I don't think you'd begin to understand if I actually told you."

"Feel free to give me the abridged version."

"Look, Alex," Jane began. She glanced over at Lara, who gave no indication that she was listening in on our conversation. "First and foremost, your concern tonight needs to be for Lara, okay? She doesn't know which way is up right now, and I can't blame her. As far as Sam goes, there are a few people I plan on speaking with tonight...and some _not-so _people, for lack of a better description."

"And your tail?"

"Shit, you're relentless," she said, rolling her eyes. "To make a long story short, I earned it for helping you, all right? Take that however you wish, but for the first time in my long life, one of the old gods chose _me _to do something special and reunite the savior of Yamatai with her soulmate. That's not an opportunity that comes up every century, you know?"

_Soulmate? _The word rendered me speechless. Lara immediately stopped sweeping and wiped the tears from her cheek with the back of her hand. "What did you say?"

Jane turned to Lara with outstretched hands. "What, _savior? _That's what you are, Lara - I'm sorry the title came at the price of your sanity, but this is Kannon's way of making amends." She pointed to me. "Not to mention, her renewed presence in this world is going to make a lot of mortals happy, believe me. Himiko had suppressed her for a long time - she's got a ton of work to do."

"And Sam? Can she somehow help us find Sam?"

"Not if she's in immortal hands," Jane said, shaking her head. "Which I know isn't what you want to hear right now, but that's why I'm leaving in search of some answers." She walked up to Lara and put both hands on her shoulders - I didn't realize how tall she was, but even barefoot the girl had to be close to six feet. "I'll come back for you in the morning, Lara - I promise. But you're no good to me now. You need to rest. Let Alex take care of you, okay? He's been waiting for the opportunity." I couldn't control the heat in my face when both women fixated their eyes on me. Jane winked. I felt like a pre-teen.

_Oooh, Alex likes you! Neener neener!_

"I'll make some tea," I said quietly, shuffling off to the stove to grab the kettle. It was all I could do to keep myself from melting into a puddle of embarrassment. This wasn't the time or place to think about my feelings for Lara! Her best friend had been abducted from her bedroom, for Christ's sake!

_Or, maybe this is the perfect time to be thinking about it, _my mind whispered as I turned one of the front burners on. _Why did Kannon bring me back, anyway? Not just as some sort of ridiculous gift or offering. There's got to be more to this whole situation...she's a goddess, obviously. Of course there's a master plan. But what? _

I vaguely paid attention, focusing on prepping the kettle as Jane said her goodbyes to Lara and left via the balcony. I did, however, hear Lara gasp in surprise, prompting me to whirl around with wide eyes. "Did you see her fly, Alex?!" Lara cried, pointing to the nothingness where Jane just stood. "Oh, God, that was unlike anything I've ever seen."

"Yeah, she's a real frickin' spectacle," I said to myself as I rummaged through the cabinets in search of tea. "Hopefully no one on the street saw her."

Lara's footsteps were soft as they came closer, but I refused to turn around. I didn't have to look into a mirror to know that my cheeks were as red as beets, and the realization that we were alone for the first time _ever _made me tremble. Maybe I was a pre-teen at heart - lord knows I didn't have a lot of experience with women, least of all the beautiful ones. "The tea is in the cookie jar on the counter," Lara said. The sound of a barstool scraping against the floor made me jump, though it was just her sitting at the kitchen island. It may as well have been an oni warrior, judging by my reaction. I needed to play it much, much cooler.

"Thanks," I said, grabbing the jar. "I'm surprised you don't have the loose kind. Isn't that what you always had on the ship?"

"...Roth refused to buy bagged tea," she said, closing her eyes at the mention of his name. "It would have been more practical, surely, but the thought horrified him."

"Hmm, I never realized he was that hardcore about his tea habits," I said, pulling out two individually wrapped bags from the jar. "But, as a badass British treasure hunter, I wouldn't have expected anything less."

"I wonder what he'd have to say about all this," she said. "I doubt I'm living up to his expectations."

Red cheeks be damned, I turned to look at Lara. She had this strange, dreamy look on her face, like she wasn't in the room with me. Her eyes were red and swollen from crying, but I noticed the bright blue of her irises shine like never before. "Hey, you can't think like that," I said. "You're doing the best you can, L.C. - and how long has it been, anyway? This isn't going to be an overnight recovery."

"I know, but Roth -"

"Roth had a lifetime of adventures under his belt," I said. "Yamatai was your first real expedition. Don't even try to make a comparison, because you're just going to beat yourself up."

Lara opened her mouth to speak, but chose not to and instead started to pull her hair back into a familiar ponytail. With that out of the way, I once again took notice of the paleness in her skin. I wasn't used to it - at one point, being on the _Endurance _had left Lara with just enough of a tan to look healthy. "I'm sorry," she said with a halfhearted chuckle. "I must look horrendous."

I shook my head. "No, it's not that - I mean, I don't think you could ever look less than beautiful. Even if you tried." _Fuck, did I just say that out loud? _

"Do you mean that, Alex?"

"Well...yeah."

_Smooth, Weiss. _

Her eyes broke away from mine and she smiled, for just a second. If I blinked, I probably would have missed it. The kettle began to whistle, demanding to be taken off of the heat. In my hunt for the tea, I did come across two mismatched mugs that were now sitting on the countertop, ready and waiting for hot water. "Sorry," I whispered. "I mean it. Really. But you know me, L.C. - I'm not good at, uh, feelings... I just don't want you to think I'm insincere."

"It's all right. I don't want you to think that I'm petty."

"Never. Not in a million years."

"Thanks," she said. "I was just looking forward to a bit of normalcy - Sam was, too. We planned on meeting with a historian at NYU to share some of the items we brought back from Yamatai, but after that... I just wanted to wash my hands of the whole thing. I still do. To even think about Himiko..."

"Normalcy, eh?" I carefully poured hot water into the mugs. "Like moving to the suburbs, white picket fence? You and Sam would be the most adorable faux-lesbian couple on the block."

She rolled her eyes. "Come off it, Alex. There's just no one else on this planet who understands... Oh, never mind." With a sigh, she took her mug and brought it to her face, reveling in the steam. "Everything is so complicated now."

"I think I'd be able to understand, L.C. - not to undermine Sam, obviously, and I'm sure I missed out on some of the details, being dead and all... But Yamatai is real for me, too."

"I know. I'm sorry," Lara said. "I just haven't had the time to properly adjust to the fact that you're _you. _And my thoughts...I'm all over the place. I so badly want to grab my gun and look for Sam myself. It feels strange to be sitting here, but..."

"We don't know what we're dealing with," I said. "But I don't have to tell you that. Jane is more than willing to do the legwork tonight, and we'll join in tomorrow."

"It's probably for the best." Lara wasn't typically the kind of girl who fidgeted in her seat - that was one of the things I noticed straight away, even before the _Endurance _days. When I first met Lara she was working at the Nine Bells as a barmaid and - much to the surprise of most patrons who weren't regulars - occasional security. She would stare down a guy three times her size without so much as unclenching her fist. Meanwhile, I'd always stare at her from my corner booth in awe.

Tonight, however, was a different story. Her hands absently twisted her ponytail, adjusted the straps of her tank top, drummed on the marble countertop... "Breathe," I said. "I know it's easier said than done, but you're going to give yourself a heart attack if you don't try to relax."

Lara nodded. "You never told me what the afterlife was like."

"I didn't, did I? Well..." I began, struggling for the right words. "It more or less _was_ Yamatai, but like, devoid of human influence. Without Himiko's storms or the Solarii, it's an amazing place - I mean, I didn't really go exploring or anything, but I bet the forests would have been a million times prettier without gunmen hiding in the trees."

"How did you feel?"

"Um..." It was a good question - should have had a straightforward answer, but suddenly my mouth went dry. _Oh, you know, I just felt the crippling, incalculable sadness that accompanies being permanently severed from the living. I cried because you won and I didn't think I'd ever be able to show you that I cared. I was saved, but it didn't feel like being saved if it meant being so far away from the only family I ever gave a shit about. _"It's hard to put into words, honestly. I was scared to be left behind, but I knew that you guys were safe and that made me feel a bit better about my situation."

Lara nodded slowly, turning the mug on the counter, and I could tell she had a burning question. Beyond the apartment and its broken glass doors, I could hear a bottle shatter and people shouting at one another on the street. Before I had a chance to speak Lara was on her feet, her body squared toward the balcony and poised for a fight. "They're coming for us."

"I highly doubt it," I whispered, straining to hear the voices - one male, one female. It sounded like Spanish. Angry Spanish. "I'm not Rosetta Stone or anything, but I think it's safe to assume that what we're doing up here is the least of their worries."

"But even if it isn't them...someone is going to try to get to us."

"Yeah. Jane. In the morning." I offered a smile. "Let's just lock the screen door for now, okay?"

"Alex, that's not enough -"

"Breathe," I said once again. "Your bedroom door has a lock, right? Let's go, if you'll feel safer."

Lara was off in a flash, leaving me to grab both mugs and follow behind. I did stop to make sure that at least the screen door was locked and took a moment to peer out at the city. It definitely wasn't untrue to consider New York the city that never slept, but for some odd reason everything did seem calmer than I would've liked, save for the quarreling Spanish couple. _Nothing I can worry about now, _I thought, stepping lightly through the living room - Lara swept up the glass, but one could never be too careful.

_Besides, Lara's doing enough worrying for the both of us. _

When I opened her bedroom door to let myself in, I saw that the only light in the room came from a shoddy little lamp on Lara's desk. Her window was shut tight, which allowed for no air flow in the room whatsoever - suddenly, the hot tea seemed like a crappy idea. She was pacing back and forth and was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she almost didn't even see me walk in, and when she did she yelped in surprise. "Alex, don't do that!"

"Do what?" I walked over to the desk and set the mugs down. "Should we have a special knock or something? Like a password? It might not be a half bad idea, as ridiculous as it sounds..."

My eyes took note of several items on the desk, each one more interesting than the last. First - and most lethal - was the .9mm handgun that sat casually on the desktop. It shouldn't have been so surprising, considering that a gun to Lara Croft was like chap stick to, well..._any_ other girl on the earth. I shuddered at the thought of Lara actually shooting the gun, however, in her current mental state.

The second item was familiar, so familiar that it took my breath away. "Coco!"

Lara stopped pacing and turned to glance at me. "What did you say?"

"This..." It was Coco's stuffed bunny, just like I remembered. I picked it up and pressed my fingertips into the spot where its button eye was supposed to be. "I met this girl on Yamatai. After I died. Her name was Coco, and her older sister -"

"Millie?"

"Yeah! How'd you know?" I was gobsmacked, so much so that I actually feel compelled to use the word _gobsmacked. _

"I found a wallet containing their photograph," Lara said. "They were carrying the toys. But you're telling me that they're..?"

"Safe," I breathed. "Not technically _alive_, but safe with Kannon."

Once again, that burning question flickered behind Lara's eyes - I had a feeling I knew what it was, but I wanted to hear her ask as opposed to me volunteering the information. If perhaps she had the courage to say their names out loud, maybe, just maybe...

My eyes fell to the third item on the desk, primarily because there was an awkward silence growing between myself and Lara that I wanted to diffuse. I wasn't good at silence - even in a normal everyday setting it made me antsy and uncomfortable, like being scrutinized under a microscope or something. Especially on dates, not that I went on a lot of _those. _But the few that I did experience as a teenager? Yeah, those were chock full of dead air.

Little did I realize that this silence was about to go above and beyond anything I'd ever experienced in my adolescence. Like, if silence was as deafening as people were oft to say, then my ears should rightly have bled. There was a piece of paper on Lara's desk - nothing flashy, and to be perfectly honest, it looked like someone had crumpled it up to use for wastebasket basketball. What piqued my interest, though...

_My handwriting. _

It had been awhile since I saw my own handwriting. This particular example of my penmanship was nothing to write home about - pun intended - and looked like I'd scratched it down with an old quill pen. I could hear Lara's breath catch in her throat when she realized precisely what I was looking at, and for a moment I tried to imagine the scenario as it played out - me huddling behind a stack of crates, shaking like a leaf while I wrote. The heavy footsteps of Solarii as they walked by, armed to the teeth. The metallic tang of blood in my mouth because I bit my tongue while writing that last sentence:

_But maybe I can still do something to get her attention._

"How in God's name..?"

Lara's face was crimson. Despite her fears, she walked over to the window and cracked it open just a tad, letting the cool air soothe her skin. "I wanted to keep your memory alive," she said, just loud enough for me to hear. "I didn't...it didn't occur to me until you were gone that I was a terrible friend - to you, in particular. If I could carry your words with me, I thought it would help. I didn't want to forget."

She was getting visibly upset. Every muscle, every nerve wanted to go over and gather her up in my arms like I'd done so many times in my dreams. Now that it was an actual, tangible option, however... I froze. Shit, what was I supposed to do? I'd never played the role of "strong, comforting man" - I practically invented the jokester nerd character, but I was certain Lara wasn't interested in seeing that performance.

"L.C., you were never a terrible friend to me. If anything, I was terrible for going off on my own for those tools and thinking that I could spare you a trip. I was terrible for putting my feelings for you before your own safety. I had so many opportunities to tell you what was going on in my head before we even boarded the ship... goddamn it, I should just spend the rest of my life apologizing to you for being an insincere douche bag."

"There's no need," she said. Her body language still read embarrassed, but I could feel something in the atmosphere shift.

The words were leaving my mouth before I realized what was happening. "Roth and Grim... They're okay, Lara. I'm not sure if that's completely off-topic or anything, but you need to know that they're okay. If there's anything you should know about my time in the afterlife, it's that Kannon took good care of them." I took a step closer. My heart was beating so fast, I wouldn't have been surprised if it burst. "She said they ascended, which I assume means that they got VIP access through the pearly gates. Champagne bottles, two hundred nubile virgins - the whole shebang."

Lara laughed, the sound of which was so pure that my knees shook - God, it felt so good to hear her laugh. I was afraid I'd never hear that again. "Are you absolutely sure?"

"Oh, yeah," I reassured her. "Kannon told me herself. Well, maybe not about the virgins, or the champagne...but everything else is totally legitimate." She smiled, and I could feel my own mouth mimicking the expression. "So please, L.C. - don't worry so much. We're going to get Sam back come hell or high water, and everyone else is exactly where they want to be."

"Are you?" Lara tilted her head to the side and studied me with a mixture of emotions that I didn't immediately recognize. "In all honesty, Alex... I feel like I'm losing my mind, bit by bit. There have been mornings where I wake up and I just...don't even know who I am anymore. Is this how you want to be spending your life?"

"Hey, I'd rather babysit your crazy ass than do anything else. Honestly. You...you mean a lot to me, Lara. I couldn't possibly leave you in the dust, not now."

_Not ever. _

What happened next, well... I still wonder if it was brought on by despair. It wouldn't be surprising, you know? Both of us were products of a situation that no human being ever should have been subjected to - it leaves behind this constant, insatiable ache in your bones. It's hard to describe if you've never been in the thick of it, but when I looked at Lara, I _knew _her pain because it was something we shared. Our physical wounds weren't the same, but we both knew what it was like to be hunted. That feeling never goes away, and I guess it just makes you want to seek out a safe haven, a place that subdues that constant terror of being found and destroyed.

I couldn't tell you who made the first move. I want to say that I had the balls to do it, but I'd probably be lying. Lara's lips were on mine in a flash, and for a fleeting moment my mind was on praying mantids. Don't get me wrong - her lips were pillowy and soft, and she smelled like lavender and citrus and magic, but I still couldn't stop thinking about the cannibalization of those poor male mantids during, um...you know.

_Damn it, Weiss. She's kissing you! She's beautiful, and she's all you ever wanted in your measly life, and...oh, my God. Her tongue is in your mouth. DO YOU READ ME? _

Lara's hands were tangled in my hair as she stood on her tiptoes, doing everything short of jumping me in order to get as close as possible. I wound my arms around her body and pulled her close, marveling at her tone - it was one thing to _see _her, but to feel her was an entirely different and unforgettable sensory experience. She made this tiny little sound against my lips that caused every nerve in my body to buzz with anticipation. It was animalistic. There was a burning sensation in the pit of my stomach that I'd only ever experienced a few times before, all-consuming and primitive.

And her chest - oh, man. Words haven't been invented to describe the feeling, especially as my hands skimmed over her shirt and into that foreign territory. I wanted to know what every inch of her body felt like, and I could feel her come alive beneath my touch in a way that transcended my wildest imagination.

But then my conscience kicked in. _Okay, so we know that this is what you've always wanted, Weiss - you touched her chest. Check it off your bucket list. You've got to ask yourself, though - is this just physical gratification? Is this guilt? Doesn't she deserve something more than sex derived from distress?_

Fuck. I broke the kiss, but still kept Lara in a tight embrace. She pressed her face into my shoulder - I could only imagine that she was embarrassed, but in a way, so was I. "Lara, you have absolutely no idea -"

"It's okay," she murmured. "I'm a catastrophe, Alex. You don't have to want me."

"Are you kidding?" I grabbed her shoulders and held her out so that I could look her straight in the eye. "Lara, I'm not lying when I say that I have never wanted anything in my life as much as I want you." The tone of my voice was laced with this lusty quality that even caught me off guard - does the prospect of getting it on make everyone sound like a pseudo Barry White, or was it just me in that moment? "And believe me, this is damn near close to my dream scenario. But... I don't want to do this when we both feel so lost. Does that make sense?"

"I suppose so..."

"Seriously," I said with a smile. "I want to get to know you, L.C. - not just the adventurer side of you. I want to know the girl I met at the Nine Bells, the one who intimidated me so much that it took a week for me to ask you for a beer."

She raised a curious eyebrow. "Did it truly take you a week?"

"God - see? You didn't even notice I was there!" I sighed and readjusted my glasses, which were pleasantly askew from so much kissing. "I read _Watchmen _four times that week before I found the courage to talk to you."

Lara covered her mouth with her hand and stared at me, wide-eyed. "Why didn't you ever tell me that I'd been so daft? I'm sorry!"

"Oh, no, no," I said, shaking my head. "Nothing to apologize for! You were doing your job, L.C. - it wasn't your responsibility to entertain the geek in the corner booth. I never held that against you."

"But I feel awful about that ever happening."

"Then, in the future you'll just have to make up for it." I winked, and found myself shocked at how skillfully I was handling this situation when my last intimate encounter with a girl had been at least several years prior. "But for now, we focus on what's important: finding Sam. Banishing evil. Saving the day - basically, what we're good at."

Lara nodded, and shrugged her way out of my grip and over to her desk. She grabbed the .9mm and held it in both hands. "Sorry," she said. "I'm sleeping with this on the nightstand. Is that all right?"

"Yeah, sure. Do what you need to do."

"Well, I wasn't sure..." Her gaze fell to her feet. It was endearing, this awkwardness - the Lara I knew on the _Endurance _never let anyone see her at less than her best. Being on a ship with people like Dr. Whitman, I guess that approach made sense, but it was refreshing to experience her vulnerability. I could tell that she thought it was a weakness - I silently disagreed.

"Did you want to stay, Alex?"

"If it's what you want," I said, well before I even gave the question any thought. _Why else would she be asking? _

She walked past me, laid the gun on her nightstand and sat at the foot of her bed. Her hands were clasped tightly in her lap. "I think...I would feel safe if you chose to stay," she said. "Is that all right? God, I've no experience in this sort of thing, you probably think I'm even crazier than I was earlier today."

I shrugged. "It's new territory for both of us, L.C.. What, did you think I was some sort of Don Juan growing up?" She didn't respond. I frowned. "Oh, come on. Not even a little?"

"Not quite."

"Damn. You're a good judge of character - better than I care to admit."

"You're ridiculous," Lara said as she pulled down her comforter and slowly crawled into bed, deliberately leaving space. Even in the darkness I could see the redness in her cheeks, and I'm sure I looked the same - I think between the two of us, we had the romantic experience of maybe three-quarters of a sixteen-year-old. "Is this okay?"

"Yeah," I said as I took several slow steps to the bed. "You know, I think the only time I actually ever spent a full night in someone's else's bed was when Jonah and I tried to drink Bacardi 151 - nasty shit, I tell you. I don't know how we didn't get alcohol poisoning, but I remember waking up the next morning with my head hanging off the bed and my legs across Jonah's chest. Seriously, Reyes was _so _pissed. She'd been trying to get a hold of me that morning to do work in the engine room. Needless to say, I got chewed out...and the messed up thing was, Reyes never said a thing to Jonah. I wonder how she's going to react when she knows I'm alive..."

I had a penchant for rambling on a good day, but now that I was crawling into Lara Croft's bed, I felt like I couldn't shut my mouth for fear of this all being a dream. It wasn't until she pressed her fingertips to my lips that I felt the sudden urge to shut up. She smiled. "Thank you, Alex."

"My bad," I said. "I'm nervous. Can't you tell?" I did my best to get comfortable and simultaneously give Lara ample space - who knew? Maybe she didn't want to cuddle. It was hard to tell whether or not she liked that sort of thing, and I certainly didn't want to be presumptuous with a handgun only inches away.

"I'm just thankful that you're here," she whispered, and quietly curled herself against my body so that her head rested on my chest. I took her hand in my own and traced aimless circles on her skin with my thumb, afraid to speak. This wasn't a moment worth ruining by saying something stupid to fill up the silence. As a matter of fact, I was terrified that this really was a dream, that I was going to wake up back on Yamatai with Kannon and realize that there was no way I could be this lucky...

...and then I heard Lara snore. I glanced down and saw that her eyes were closed and felt her clinging to me so tightly that a slip of paper wouldn't have fit between our bodies. My own breathing slowed once I realized that _yes, _I was this lucky, even if just for a night. Just feeling her relax gave me a renewed sense of purpose - I wrapped my arm around her and inhaled, once again allowing my nose to be flooded with her familiar floral scent.

There was no telling what the morning was going to bring. I didn't even know what time it was, and though I could feel sleep threatening my eyelids I wasn't ready to drift away. She felt too good. In the throes of all the uncertainty - Sam, Himiko, the old gods, our safety - I couldn't have been more grateful just for the opportunity to hold her.

_Thank you, Kannon._


	2. Chapter 2

_Of Gods and Blackbirds_

by: fluffy pantoufle

**a/n: **hey, everybody! thanks for reading, and extra special thanks for the reviews! i've got a bit of a shorter chapter for you today, in which i (sort of) introduce our next mythical character. he's super cool, i promise.

also, i signed up to do CAMP NANOWRIMO this month - and this story is going to be my project! i committed to 30,000 words, but who knows? it could end up being longer than that! primarily, i'm just using the challenge to make sure i don't leave huge, gaping weeks between chapters. has anyone else done any form of nanowrimo before? i love it, and if you're doing it this month we should totally be buds.

anyway, on with the chapter!

* * *

That next morning, I woke up twice. Both occasions were alarming in their own right - the first was because I couldn't really believe my own luck. To be fair, _Alex Weiss _and _luck _weren't exactly what I considered synonyms, in this life or the last. I was usually just a bit left of center in that regard, and especially when it came to relationships. I'm not even just talking about the romantic variety - the few very plutonic friendships I had throughout my life weren't serendipitous by any right. Even maintaining any kind of bond with my own family took more work than necessary, and I wasn't even sure what I was getting in return. Jonah was the most easygoing person in my life, and forgive me for quoting _Forrest Gump, _but: "we was like peas and carrots."

Ahem. Anyway, back to Lara.

God, I know I'm going to sound redundant, but she was beautiful in the morning - especially so because she looked more peaceful than I'd ever seen her. At first, I thought I was caught in a dream because everything just seemed so calm. The window was open slightly and the sun was pouring in, but the noise from the street was that of a typical Monday. All I was paying attention to, however, was the sound of her breath as she laid against my chest, hand over my heart.

This was it. Then and there, I decided I would be perfectly content waking up like that every day for the rest of my life. I smiled to myself and tried to keep my eyes open as long as possible, just to etch the moment in my memory bank. Every freckle on her skin, every misplaced strand of her brown hair was worth preserving forever. I wanted to write a thank you note to Kannon - hell, I wanted to send her one of those bouquets of fruit that they advertised on the television. Whether or not a goddess would consider that appropriate was a different thought entirely, which kept me occupied until I fell back asleep.

The second time I woke up, Lara was gone.

"What the..?" I shot up and glanced around the room, adrenaline coursing through my veins and forcing me awake. The spot where she slept only an hour or so previous was cold. _Shit. _I also took immediate notice of the fact that the gun was gone. _Double shit. _

My breath came to me in these tiny, rapid little gasps, like a fish flopping around on a dock. "Lara!" I ran to the window and looked outside. On the street, ordinary people went about their morning business, but no one looked like a god or a monster. Most of them just had Starbucks cups in their hands.

_That's the problem, isn't it? These people aren't really people at all...and yet they look like people. Damn it. _

It felt like the room was an oven, and I could feel beads of nervous sweat form on my forehead as I thought about Lara's whereabouts. I couldn't envision her going after Sam alone - in her state of mind, it would likely be a death sentence. Just imagining her in danger made my stomach ache. I'd gone through the same familiar bout of nausea when we first crashed on Yamatai and I had no idea if Lara survived the storm.

I saw that the bedroom door was open. That was a good sign - it meant that no one came in and smuggled her through the window. The same thing that took Sam hadn't come back twice - not yet, anyway. "Lara!" I ran out into the hallway and into the living room, but nothing looked different. Even the screen door leading to the balcony appeared completely untampered. Though all seemed okay on the surface, I collapsed on the couch in a state of shock. "She couldn't have vanished into thin air..."

"Alex?"

"Lara?!" My ears instantly perked up to the sound of her voice. "Where are-"

"I'm in the bathroom."

Fuck, of course! I got up and retraced my steps to the hallway, not even bothering to knock on the door before pushing it open. Lara sat on the edge of the bathtub, and though she appeared to be better rested her eyes were still listless. She had streaks of dried blood all over her tank top, and her right hand was wrapped in a washcloth. I could practically feel the anxiety saturate the air when she realized that I was staring at her hand, slack-jawed.

"What happened?" I could barely form a coherent thought. "Did you try to-"

"No, no, no," Lara said, sounding embarrassed. "Quite the contrary. I never properly had a chance to take care of my hand after I punched the wall last night. Didn't think it was this bad."

"Can I take a look at it?"

"I thought we had this conversation already," she said. "It's not serious. I can manage."

Despite her post-traumatic stress and the current circumstances, Lara's stubbornness was still alive and breathing. "I know you can manage, but that doesn't change the fact that I want to see your damn hand." I gestured for her to move over so that I could sit down and grabbed her hand before she had a chance to protest. "It'll make me feel better. You already scared me half to death today, and I haven't even been awake for five minutes."

"I'm sorry. I panicked."

"About your hand?" I raised one unconvinced brow. My glasses had slid down my nose, and I peeked over the top of my frames to make eye contact with her. "Or something else?"

She turned her face away from me and chose to stare at the tiles on the floor while I unwrapped her hand. The blood was fresh - she more than likely moved a certain way in her sleep and reopened the cuts. There were four of them across her knuckles, their size and depth indicative of the forced she used to land her punch. I was surprised she hadn't left a hole in the wall. "I woke up this morning and felt happier than I've felt in a very long time, Alex. It was just for a second, but I felt it."

"And then you panicked?"

"And then I panicked." She sighed, but said nothing as I turned the bathtub faucet on and wet an unbloodied washcloth I plucked from the counter. "I just felt guilty for being happy while Sam is missing. It doesn't make any sense."

I shrugged. "I don't see why not," I said quietly as I shut the faucet off and began to dab her hand with the cloth. "I mean, let's not throw a party or anything because _that _would be rude, but..."

_Right now, I'm so ridiculously happy it should be criminal. _

"But what?"

"Nothing," I said, feigning innocence. "Your hand is shaking like a leaf, though."

"They do that a lot these days."

Her hand was small, but was far from what I thought of as dainty. Lara's nails were short and jagged from nervous biting and her skin was covered in scars. I imagined her using her hands to climb rock faces, to scramble and crawl through shantytowns...to fight grown men twice her size with her fists and a pickaxe. The new cuts on her knuckles weren't new at all, the more I thought about it. By punching the wall, she probably just re-injured whatever had been healing from Yamatai. I frowned at the thought.

"Hey, Lara! Alex! Wake up, sleepyheads!"

Lara and I both jumped in surprise. "Jane!" We exited the bathroom and ran to open the screen door. Jane was quite capable of letting herself in via some kind of crazy fox-magic, but I appreciated the fact that she opted for common courtesy. She was dressed like quite the hippie, with a fringed top and a skirt that honestly looked like a long, large handkerchief. It was a bit ridiculous, but she didn't seem to care - after all, Jane _was _old. I assumed she just lived through the sixties and kinda sorta...got stuck there.

"So, how was last night?" Jane winked at me as I opened the door for her, but I didn't dignify her with a response. She obviously assumed that me _taking care _of Lara was going to be a bit more...hands on. "In due time, my friends. In due time."

"That's not even..." I glanced over at Lara, who wasn't even picking up what Jane was throwing down. Of course. Sam was at the forefront of her mind. "Whatever. Did you find out where Sam is?"

Jane shook her head. "No, but we need to meet my friend in Central Park. He may have a few ideas, and he has a _very _cool skill set. Seriously, you'll be impressed." As she spoke about him, I noticed her eyes light up with an emotion that I recognized - I probably spoke about Lara the same way when we first boarded the _Endurance._ Puppy love. Or, in this case, kit love. "Oh, and also, we need to get out of here as soon as possible. Someone was here during the night. I can smell it."

"How is that even possible?" Lara looked around the room in a vain attempt to see if anything was out of place. "Wouldn't we have heard something?"

"Not necessarily," Jane said. "We're dealing with things that aren't human. They can be as quiet at they need to be to do what they want to do." Despite this terrifying news, she seemed to be in good spirits and definitely in better control of herself. Were kitsunes naturally bipolar? "Smells like an elemental. Maybe a sylph..._that _would be interesting! They aren't super common around here."

"Are they dangerous?" Lara's voice was steady, which in turn made me feel a bit more confident. I knew she was ready to get out of this apartment and hunt down Sam's captors - I was just glad she didn't seem to be falling apart under the pressure.

"Depends on who's in charge of them," Jane said. "But we need to get you guys out of this apartment, _now." _She pointed to me. "Especially Alex."

"Excuse me?" I crossed my arms over my chest.

"No, you don't get it," Jane said, her tone admonishing. "Kannon went out of her way to put you back together, Alex. And you can't even begin to imagine how many others are interested in taking you apart. So we need to get you somewhere you can be protected, at least until we figure out how to properly go after your friend."

Lara reached out with her left hand to grab my right. The feeling of her skin was like electricity - I didn't think it would ever get old, that feeling. "He has me," she said. "I'll look after him. I promise."

"You aren't enough, Lara," Jane said. "Not to hurt your feelings or anything."

I watched her put on a brave front, but Lara was clearly taken aback by Jane's words. "No, it's...perfectly fine. Really, it is." She turned her back to Jane and headed for her bedroom. "Let me just grab my gun and we'll be off, yes?"

Uh-oh. "I thought you grabbed it off the dresser when you woke up this morning, L.C.."

She shook her head. "No, why would I have done that?"

I shrugged.

"It's not important," Jane said. "They took it to frighten you, but I'm sure we can find another one!" She linked her arm with Lara's, much to the latter's surprise. They were far from best buddies. "Besides, Mo is an excellent swordsman - until we get you a new weapon, he'll look out for all of us."

_Mo? Swordsman? Yeah, sure - I bet that's going to fly quite nicely in Manhattan. People won't notice a dude with a sword strapped to back walking down the street. Nooo, not at all! _

"Forgive me if I should know this," I began, "...but who the hell is Mo? Is he some sort of like, hobo street ninja that's famous for battling elementals, or whatever they are?"

Jane rolled her eyes. "Have you never heard the name _Momotaro _before?"

"Oh, of course!" Suddenly, Lara didn't seem so weirded out by being in such close proximity to Jane, even going to far as to tighten her grip on the redhead's arm. "The story of Momotaro is famous in Japan, even to this day - though I'm surprised to think that he would be here, of all places."

"You've got a lot to learn, Lara," Jane said. "Let's go to the zoo, shall we? Mo's fond of the snow monkeys. I'm sure that's exactly where we'll find him!"

* * *

Leaving the apartment behind wasn't all that tough to do, especially since it didn't seem like a _home. _Though she didn't say it out loud, I sensed that Lara shared my sentiments. She quickly threw together a backpack of odds and ends, including her pickaxe - the one weapon she could get away with concealing in New York City, though just barely. I felt a little strange, considering that I came back to life with, well...nothing. My own backpack was surely sitting at the bottom of the ocean, along with all the most important pieces of my identity. It was like being underage again, sneaking through life without needing a driver's license or ID of any kind. Liberating, sure - but also fucking scary to think about if a member of the NYPD wanted to stop and chat me up and I had nothing on me with which to prove my existence.

Anyway, Central Park was once again bustling with tourists and city folk of all kinds, but thankfully didn't seem as busy as it did the day prior. We walked with a purpose, and by the time we reached the zoo I was nearly out of breath. _Shit, and who knows what daring feats of physical fitness we'll need to perform to save Sam? _I hoped my endurance would improve - it was like recovering from major surgery and starting your fitness journey back at square one.

Jane started to get a bit antsy, and as soon as we walked through the entrance (which wasn't free, by the way - poor Lara had to foot the bill for the three of us), she turned to both of us and struck a pose. "Do I look okay?"

I couldn't hide my laughter, much to Jane's ire. "Sorry, it's just..." How was I possibly going to explain why I thought the question was absurd? "You look fine, Jane. A bit like you're caught in 1967, but fine nonetheless."

"Maybe I _liked_ 1967." Jane ran her hands through her unruly red hair in an attempt to calm it down. "It was a fabulous, liberating year."

Imagining her in the throes of the hippie movement made my brain hurt, so instead I took a moment to indulge in the sights. It wasn't a huge zoo, and everywhere I looked I saw beautifully green and pink trees canopying pathways leading to other exhibits. Skyscrapers loomed even further above them, reminding me that we were still smack dab in the center of a metropolis. Up ahead, there was a crowd of people gathered around a large pool murmuring excitedly. It took me a second to realize just what was going on.

"Sea lions!" The completely random surge of excitement on my part caught both Jane and Lara off-guard. "Damn it, sea lions are cool. We've got to check them out."

"The snow monkeys are just beyond them, anyway," Jane said, still a bit peeved at me.

Lara was the only one of us who appeared solemn. She held tight to the straps of her backpack, shying away from people if they walked too close. "I don't feel all right about this," she whispered to me. "Something's off."

"What, have you been here before?"

She shook her head. "No, but I can't shake the feeling that someone knows we're here."

"Just take a deep breath, L.C.," I said, trying to reassure her. "We can handle whatever comes our way, right?"

"I hope so."

It was clear to me that Lara was trying desperately to repress her fears. I could see it in the way she bit her lip and scrunched up her brows, like she was fighting some kind of internal battle. _Let me help, _I begged silently, knowing full well that I couldn't do a damned thing. That was the most painful part, to be honest - what could I possibly do to assuage those terrible thoughts?

All of a sudden, I started to feel...itchy. It's hard to describe - like, you know how you feel when you think a bug is crawling on your leg, but it's just this weird, phantom sensation in your leg hairs? Yeah, imagine that, but all over your body. I glanced down and noticed that nothing was there and felt a momentary sense of relief. That is, until the feeling became less of an itch and more of a _burn, _and no longer on my skin, but in my bones.

I had a flashback to my last fleeting seconds on the _Endurance, _just as the heat and pressure from the explosion tore me to shreds, and-

"Hey, Alex - are you feeling all right? You don't look so great." Jane and I were comparable in height, and she was staring directly into my eyes, holding me up by the shoulders. I was looking at her, but I wasn't really looking _at her, _if that makes sense. My world was fire and ash and lava and burning and death.

_Burn it to the ground. Kill them all. Dance in the ashes. _

What the hell?

"Shit. Jane, you didn't tell me what he was!"

A new voice - masculine, deep, completely unfamiliar to me. I could see his face, and I tried to focus on his features, but my vision was no longer my own. It was like sitting in the backseat, but still trying to drive the car.

My only question: _if not me, who the fuck is the driver? _

"Alex! What's going on?!" Poor Lara, she didn't need to worry about me now. Was she grabbing my hand? I think so, but my extremities were searing hot now, and I was surprised I didn't combust. The heat threatened to burst out of me, wild and lethal, like a flamethrower.

_Burn. Kill. Dance. Do it, now! _

"Fuck, fuck, fuck - we need to get him out of here. God damn it, Jane!"

"How was I supposed to know?! I haven't seen anything like this in centuries!"

"What haven't you seen? What do we do?"

"All these people are in danger! Can you smell it? Where's he hiding, Jane?"

Their voices meshed into one cacophony of anger and confusion, and though I wanted to separate Lara from the other two, she became high-pitched and harsh and soon enough, nonexistent. _No, no, don't leave me here... _I was a prisoner in my own mind. I knew who they were looking for, and he was hiding under the guise of a human skin, near the sea lions. He was the puppeteer, the elemental who knew where we were staying.

Jane was wrong. Despite her nine tails and her new power, she was so wrong. It wasn't a sylph.

It was a salamander.


	3. Chapter 3

_Of Gods and Blackbirds  
_by: fluffy pantoufle

**a/n: **hello, ladies and jelly spoons! : ) thank you for your complimentary reviews, i appreciate them more than you know! i didn't want to leave you hanging for too long with that last chapter - therefore, i worked extra hard this week to make sure you wouldn't be in suspense in regards to what's happening with alex.

i reference the poem _desiderata _right off the bat - if you're not familiar, PLEASE go read it. like, even before you read another word of what i've written. it's just an incredible poem, hahaha - by far one of my favorites, at least from the 20th century.

in this chapter: lara's POV (i couldn't NOT write her perspective), momotaro, more mythological details...and robin thicke? yes, you read that correctly. forgive me, i'm insane.

enjoy! and feel free to drop a review!

* * *

In my university days, I would try to wake up every morning and recite _Desiderata, _usually while making a cup of tea or taking a shower. Often people use the poem in their daily devotionals, and though I've never considered myself to be religious, it became very much like a prayer to me. If you don't happen to be familiar with the text, it's quite brilliant. Until recently, I lived my life by those words and everything just seemed to make perfect sense. Sam had a copy of the poem framed for me to put on my bedroom wall. I never got around to doing it, though...the meaning was already lost in the ether.

_Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. _Peace? The poet, Max Ehrmann, clearly never knew the terror that could accompany silence, the fear that a single breath could get you caught and killed in an instant. Placidity was a luxury I that was no longer in my price range, especially as I watched over Alex as he slept. I wanted to scream and cry and curse the universe for all the misery in our lives. I wanted everything to be clear and concise - I was exasperated with life-threatening mysteries, thinking I'd given them up when I left Yamatai behind.

"You look like you can use something to eat, Lara. Here."

We were in a small studio apartment above a Japanese restaurant, not too terribly far from my own. Jane was gone, searching for whoever - or _whatever_ - tried to hurt Alex. I'd been so wrapped up in my thoughts and anger that I neglected to speak to Momotaro; by all rights, I should have been starstruck. Here was an actual mythological figure, in the flesh...and I couldn't even formulate a coherent, cordial sentence.

"Thank you," I said as Momotaro - Mo, rather - set a plate down on the nightstand next to the bed. It consisted of several dumplings and a bit of rice, and though it looked delicious I wasn't feeling particularly hungry. "I appreciate your kindness."

He smiled. "Don't sweat it. It's the least I can do for you, considering all that you've sacrificed." Mo had an easygoing way about him. Everything from his voice to his body language read cool, calm, and collected - almost like a surfer. Even his hair was a bit on the longer side, longer than I expected. His arms were decorated in intricate, colorful tattoos that blended together to create two living canvases. I did notice that he had a small peach tattooed near his left wrist, and I couldn't help but smile. "I _am _surprised I haven't met you before, considering that your friend comes to the restaurant all the time."

"What?" I gestured to Alex. "You don't mean..?"

Mo shook his head. "No, no - the Japanese girl. Samantha, is it?"

I blinked. _When did Sam ever mention that she ate here? I feel like I would have remembered that kind of detail... _God, was I so wrapped up in sadness that I no longer commit information to memory? "Yes, that's her. You'll have to forgive me, I'm just a bit overwhelmed."

"Hey, it's okay," he said, helping himself to the empty wooden chair beside me. "She didn't tell me a whole lot about you or the whole Yamatai situation, but I did my homework on Himiko a long time ago. I can't imagine what you're dealing with, kid."

"Kid?" I studied Mo's face, probably far more than what was acceptable in typical society - he appeared young, perhaps no more than thirty to a casual observer. However, there were centuries of life in him, which made the current situation all the more peculiar. "I don't mean to pry, Mo, but I just have so many questions..."

"You want to know what I'm doing living above a noodle shop in New York City?"

"Well, it _is _at the forefront of my mind, yes."

He laughed, the sound of which was so light and relaxed. I would be lying if I said I wasn't envious of his ability to be so calm. "Probably the simplest answer I could give you is immigration, but I know you're much smarter than that and deserve a better explanation." There was a pause as Mo thought about precisely what he wanted to say. It was evident that he didn't have to answer this question very often. "When people move from one country to another, they tend to bring their culture with them. Usually, _culture _is like, this umbrella term for a lot of shit that everyone nowadays discusses and indulges in when they want to feel diverse and fancy...like eating at a Japanese noodle joint instead of a McDonald's, for example."

I tilted my head to the side, confused by the significance of fast food in our overarching conversation. "Okay, keep going."

"Well, what most people fail to realize is that they aren't the only ones who immigrate. All of the stories and legends - they come along for the ride, too. Sometimes for better, sometimes for worse. And _sometimes, _those stories manifest into something that comes to exist in the mortal plane." Mo seemed satisfied with his response, and sighed. He dipped his neck back to stare at the ceiling. "And _that_, dear Lara, is the incredibly abridged version of what I'm doing here."

It made sense...well, sort of. Jane liked to tell me that I had "a lot to learn about the old gods," and it was obvious that she wasn't incorrect in that regard. "Can't you just go back to Japan? Your story is beloved throughout the country, is it not?"

Mo shrugged. "I suppose so. Problem is, they still think of me as a boy-warrior with a trio of animals and a bag of dumplings. What happens when the boy grows up? No one wrote down _that_ thrilling part of the story."

What was I to say in response? My heart was beating wildly against my ribcage with just that small of an explanation. This was a whole new world opening up before my eyes, so beyond the scope of Yamatai, and I wasn't entirely sure I could handle such knowledge - not yet, anyway.

_Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness. _

These were no longer imaginings. The gods were alive, and wherever they were, they were having a very real impact on my life. I pressed my fingertips into my temples in an attempt to alleviate the stress. "I can't tell whether I feel enlightened or burdened."

"A mixture of the two sounds about right," Mo said.

At that moment, the door opened. Jane entered the apartment, and I wondered why she didn't fly through the window, as she was usually so keen to show off her kitsune attributes. She was carrying a tie-dyed shoulder bag. "Jesus, Mo - _oba-san _really doesn't like me that much, does she?"

"Not really," Mo replied, glancing over his shoulder at the new arrival. "She told me that she saw your shadow the other day, you know."

Jane frowned. "Crap, that's probably why she was just trying to shove a handful of twigs at me." I knew enough Japanese to realize that _oba-san _meant grandmother - not to mention that I saw the woman when we passed through the restaurant to reach the stairs. She didn't speak any English, which restricted our interaction to no more than a bit of hurried eye contact and nodding.

"I'll have to remind her that if she's going to pay you off, you only accept cash or credit."

"Absolutely not! I won't accept anything!" Jane closed the door and walked over to us, though I gathered that in the moment, she only had eyes for Mo. I couldn't blame her, as thus far he seemed quite nice, albeit a bit jaded. "I can't even believe that you would joke about something like that!"

Mo shushed her, pressing a finger to his lips before nodding at me. "Let's not fight in front of the children, okay?"

She rolled her eyes. "Lara, I hope he treated you kindly while I was away. Can't always trust this one to be a gentleman."

"Oh, everything was perfectly fine," I said, giving Jane a thumbs up. "No complaints from me."

"Good! How's Alex?"

"...I'm not sure." I leaned forward and pressed my hand to his forehead - he still felt feverish. _Please, Alex. You can't do this to me now. Be strong. _Earlier, I removed his glasses and placed them on the nightstand. Without the thick plastic frames covering his face he looked so different, so youthful. He had quite a bit of stubble on his chin and cheeks, however, which betrayed his age.

I remembered how rough it felt against my own skin when we kissed, and my stomach dropped in embarrassment. Quietly, I hoped no one noticed the crimson flush creep up from my neck and paint me the color of a cherry.

"Did you track it down, Jane?"

She sat down at the foot of the bed and nodded. "Yep. Killed the sonofabitch, too. He didn't put up too much of a fight, which was surprising. But at least I was able to get back your gun!" I wasn't prepared for Jane to pull my .9mm out of her bag and hand it to me - it felt like receiving the strangest Christmas present of all time, but I was grateful nonetheless. "And, I went back to your apartment, Lara - I needed to check Sam's room one more time. I'm glad I did." Much to my horror, Jane revealed a white scarf that had been spattered with blood.

I gasped as a million thoughts ran through my mind, each more terrible than the last. "You don't think she's dead, do you?!"

"Oh, no," Jane said, shaking her head. "I just think she put up a good fight! But no, whoever has her most certainly needs her alive and well." Then, to Mo: "Humans always jump to the worst conclusions, don't they?"

He took the scarf from Jane, scrutinizing the amount of blood with a crinkled expression. "Can you blame her? Look at this thing."

"Why do you even need the scarf?" My voice was low, and it took every ounce of self-control I had for me not to point my gun at either of them. Of course it was an irrational thought to have, but then again, I was in a room with what was essentially a talking fox and a centuries-old folk hero. This was what I would consider to be an irrational situation.

"I can read the blood," Mo said, slowly turning the scarf over in his hands. It was as if he was trying to read from an old book, the words faded with age and decay. "There's a talent you didn't know I had, eh? For some reason, they liked to omit that part from the stories."

My eyebrows shot up in surprise. "How interesting," I murmured, genuinely impressed by the idea that blood could contain more than just cells, platelets, and plasma. "Exactly what does that entail?"

"It's...honestly a little abstract. Tough to explain." His fingertips lightly traced the stains in slow, calculated circles. As he spoke, I sensed that his mind was far away, deep in translation. "But it tells a story, like an extra set of eyes..."

"Sometimes it takes awhile," Jane said, leaning forward to place her hand over mine. I wasn't yet used to her being so close, and instinctually I pulled away.

"It's not you," I whispered, hoping that Jane didn't take offense. To be fair, I was still warming up to her presence - she came off a bit erratic for my tastes, but I also knew that her heart was in the right place. Or, at least I hoped so. Considering she brought Alex to me and apparently killed our intruder, I was willing to trust in her for the time being. "This is all just...a lot to process."

Jane nodded. "Yeah, of course. I should have known." She gestured to my arms.

_My scars. _With everything happening so fast, I never stopped to think about them. It _was_ rather remarkable, though... I had been walking around New York in long sleeves and sweaters thinking that the scars would somehow draw attention to my damage, both mental and physical. I assumed that they branded me as an outcast. Amongst the likes of Jane and Mo, however, they didn't seem to care one bit.

_Did I truly think that I would be judged by these scars when there's so much more at stake? How foolish... _

"They don't make you a pariah, Lara." It was as if Jane could read my mind - wait, could she? Shit, I had absolutely no idea what she was capable of doing. "If anything, I think it tells the world you're a force to be reckoned with."

I didn't respond.

"...ugh."

Alex's eyes began to open slowly as he adjusted to the brightness of the room. I grabbed his hand and squeezed it, happy to let him know I was there. It felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. "Oh, thank God!"

"Did he...stop by to see me, too?" His voice was weak, his skin was pale, but he otherwise seemed fine. "Nowadays you never know who you'll meet...maybe Buddha will swing by to play Jenga later..."

"Last I heard, he actually spends a lot of time in Portland," Mo said. "He's into all that crunchy granola stuff, but I guess that might not be surprising."

"Do you feel okay, Alex?" I refused to let go of his hand, afraid of losing him again. Not that holding on to him would prevent anything from happening, of course, but it made me feel more at ease. "You scared me."

He laughed. "Pretty sure _I _scared me. I'm still not entirely sure what that was all about." I handed Alex his glasses. He gratefully slipped them on, then I watched as his eyes focused squarely on Momotaro - they had yet to be introduced. There was a palpable awkwardness in the air. "...who are you?"

* * *

Let me just set one thing straight before I even say anything: I am not a jealous person. Seriously. One of the things I typically pride myself on is my rationality, at least when it comes to my expectations of the people around me. Sure, every now and then I _might _have wished I was Sam, just considering how incredibly close she was with Lara. It seemed like they were sewn together at the hip, and I'd be lying if I said I didn't at least grumble if I saw Sam hug her, or touch her hair, or...

"I'm Momotaro. Glad to see you're feeling better, Alex."

I was vaguely aware of Momotaro's significance in Japanese folklore, but this was unexpected. _This _was the Mo who Jane mentioned earlier...wasn't he supposed to be a boy? This guy was the complete opposite - even sitting down I could tell that he was tall. He looked like someone who could walk a runway at a Tokyo fashion show, even with the tattoos and the surfer hair. I hated doing it, but I had to give credit where credit was due: the dude was attractive. Inwardly, I groaned - I mean, he could have been the coolest person in the universe, but he had this mysterious, bad boy vibe going on that seemed so effortless. And there I was, what with my one-way ticket on the hot mess express. Not cool.

And _why _was Lara sitting so close to him? Why was he sitting so close to her? Someone needed to explain this, and fast. _He better not have tried to pull a fast one on her, I swear to God. I bet he's the kind of guy who wears deep v-neck tee shirts and slouchy beanie hats and drinks Pabst Blue Ribbon at a dive bar. "Hey baby, you like folk music? I'm into folklore myself - literally." Fucking hipster. Is Lara into that sort of thing? I mean, she's talking to me...and I've been told that I have hipster glasses...shit. _

Meanwhile, Jane was sitting at the end of the bed like a cat ready to pounce...because _that _wasn't awkward or anything. Truth be told, I think she was just excited to see me awake, and that did make me feel pretty good. "This is such a relief! We were all so worried, Alex. But don't worry - I went out and killed the elemental that was messing with you." She seemed awfully proud of herself.

"Oh. That's a good thing...I guess? Thanks, Jane." I wasn't entirely sure what she was talking about, but I was sure it would be explained in due time. In that particular moment, the most important thing was the way Lara's hand held mine as if she never planned on letting go. It was a bit of a vice grip, admittedly - even so, I wasn't going to complain. "Hey, you."

She smiled. "Hello."

"We need to go get Sam."

"I know. We will, once you're feeling better."

"Is this guy coming with us?"

"Yes, I am." Mo didn't seem all that put off by my feeble attempt to exclude him. Whatever. I didn't even know why I was being so petty - is this what jealousy was supposed to feel like? "But considering what happened today, we'll have to make a pit stop."

I tried to sit up, an action that was much more difficult in practice than it should have been - Lara was kind enough to help, and adjusted the pillow behind my back for support. "Speaking of, you'll need to catch me up to speed with current events," I said. "How did we get out of the zoo?"

Mo glanced at Jane for a split second before he turned his attention to me - there was definitely something that neither myself nor Lara knew about. "We told the employees that you were diabetic and fainted from low blood sugar. Jane carried you here, which got us some strange looks...but thankfully, that was the worst of it. Manhattan is full of weirdoes anyway, we aren't _that _much out of place."

"Could it have been worse?" Lara looked nervous. I guess they didn't talk about my condition while I was passed out.

"Oh, yeah," Mo said with a terse nod. Then, he looked back at myself and Lara. "You don't know what you are, do you?"

I shook my head.

"I'm so sorry, Alex," Jane whispered. She looked legitimately remorseful, and all of a sudden I felt like I wanted to crawl under the bed. "I should have known from the beginning."

"What?" I clenched and unclenched my fists, nervous energy getting the better of me. "Do I want to know?"

"You're a revenant, Alex." The tone of Mo's voice was like that of a doctor telling a patient he has cancer. Because I didn't necessarily understand what that meant, the gravity of the situation was somewhat lost. "I mean...there's never been one like you before, at least not that I'm aware of. But that doesn't make this situation any less dangerous."

"...I don't understand," I said quietly. "Kannon brought me back to life, didn't she? She didn't tell me that there were going to be any strings attached."

Jane sighed. "Kannon is powerful, yes - but resurrection isn't _exactly_ her strong suit. Her abilities are more for reincarnation and ascension." She paused for a moment before offering me a crooked grin. "You should have asked her to come back as an animal! You could've been a bear!"

"That isn't helping, Jane," Lara growled. "Cut to the chase! What the bloody hell do you mean by revenant?" I looked at her in shock - she was still holding my hand, but she was _pissed. _Her eyes blazed with anger, and though that should have scared Mo and Jane, it made me feel an overwhelming sense of relief.

_That's the Lara Croft that I know. That's my hero. _

Mo stood up and walked away from us, toward the center of the room. "Centuries ago, people would often use magic to raise the dead from their graves. It isn't common practice anymore what with cell phone cameras and YouTube and all that bullshit, as that's kind of a recipe for mass hysteria. Warlocks and sorceresses have become a lot more discreet over the years."

I held up a hand to signal a pause. "So, wait...are you saying that I'm basically a _zombie_?"

"Your words, not mine." He crossed his arms and stared at me, kind of like he was trying to figure out a difficult puzzle. "But you really need to understand, Alex - Kannon broke the mold when she made you. Revenants are typically nothing more than undead contract killers. They don't have souls and are susceptible to control by anyone who knows how."

This wasn't making me feel any better. As a matter of fact, I could feel my stomach acid churn with every sentence. _I am the special snowflake of the undead. Because yes, of course: God forbid I get a second chance at life at it works out the way I intended. _

Lara shook her head. "No," she said. "Alex is still Alex. He's not..."

"I'm still not entirely sure myself," Mo said, cutting her off. "Based upon the fact that a salamander was able to manipulate him into nearly burning down the Central Park Zoo, I'm leaning toward revenant. However, like you said...Kannon managed to imbue his body with his soul, which hasn't ever been done before."

Salamander! I knew what that was - Mo didn't even have to explain that detail. I could practically see the creature's face in my mind. He'd been hiding behind a human disguise, but his presence in my brain left an imprint that was distinctly, hideously reptilian.

"What I don't understand is how that thing could walk amongst humans," Jane said, thoughtfully stroking her chin. "Elementals can't disguise themselves. They either are, or they aren't. Someone else is involved."

Mo frowned. "Well, shit. That corroborates the blood."

Lara stood up, in the process letting go of my hand. I noticed for the first time that she was holding her .9mm, and I made a mental note to ask about where it came from later on. "Let me see if I can get this straight: Sam was kidnapped by the same creature who not only broke into our apartment, but had the ability to manipulate Alex?"

"Maybe not the exact same," Jane said. "But definitely connected."

"There's a ringleader in all of this." Mo's eyes lit up at the revelation. "We'll need to ask around. I know that there's a lot of folks who aren't pleased with Kannon, but I never thought they'd go to these lengths."

"I don't get it," I said. "She was nothing but nice to me. And Roth, and Grim. And the girls." I looked at Lara. "Millie and Coco...she gave them a home. Why would anyone be pissed off about that?"

"Because the world we live in now thrives on an imbalance of power," Jane said. "Without Himiko in her path, Kannon can restore balance. She hears the cries of the suffering. She _saves_ souls. Not every god is so benevolent these days."

Out of nowhere, the sound of Robin Thicke's voice shattered the tense atmosphere that had been weighing down the room. Lara and I looked at each other in shock. That certainly ruined the hipster image I had of this guy in my mind - Robin Thicke was way too mainstream.

Mo chuckled. "Sorry, I really like "Blurred Lines." Is that bad? I don't think it's bad." There was a huge sectional sofa in the corner of the apartment where the song was coming from - presumably a cell phone. He ran over and lifted up a throw pillow, and lo and behold, an iPhone was waiting to be answered. "...oh, shit."

Well, that's certainly not the thing you want to hear a person say when they look at their cellular device. We collectively held our breath as Mo answered the phone, too afraid of who - or what - was on the other end. I didn't know who he was friends with. Hell, I still wasn't even sure if we were entirely safe in the company of Jane, let alone Millennial Momotaro. He seemed to know quite a bit about what was going on - but how widespread was the knowledge that Kannon had returned? How many of these so-called gods knew about my identity?

"Hello. It's good to hear from you, man...oh, _nothing_. Business is good, I can't complain... What was that? ...no, I hadn't heard." Mo's voice was casual enough to imply that the person on the other end was a friend and not a foe. At least, that was what I wanted to believe. "How do you know? ...okay. Yeah. Maybe that _was _us in Central Park...it's not like we were trying to make a scene. ...oh, Miss Croft? You know her?"

_Oh, fuck. _Lara's face went pale at the mention of her name. She slowly sunk down onto the bed next to me, still holding her gun in both hands.

"...she's quite remarkable. Her friend, too...you know about him?"

_Noooo. _

"Yes, I can do that. Okay, sure. Of course. Straight away... Yep. We'll be there."

That was it. We were more than likely done for. I exhaled and reached for Lara's arm. She wasn't expecting it, however, and yelped in surprise at the touch of my fingertips on her skin. "Everything's going to be okay," I said so that only she could hear. "I won't let anyone hurt you."

As the words left my mouth, a tiny little insidious thought lodged itself into the back of my brain: _What if you can't keep that promise, Alex? At any moment, someone can hack into your own personal mainframe and take control, and who knows how _that _would turn out? _I shivered and turned my face so that Lara couldn't see the fear in my eyes. No. I refused to believe it. Despite whatever being a revenant entailed, no matter how bad...I was stronger than that, right?

Mo lowered the phone from his ear, the tiniest ghost of a smile on his lips. "Don't look so glum, chums," he said, pleased with his own little quip. Inwardly, I groaned. "You've got friends in higher places than you think."

Friends? They seemed to be few and far between these days. "I find it hard to believe that anyone would want to help out a _revenant," _I muttered. "Especially considering what you just told us."

"I don't think you understand what I mean by _friends," _Mo said. He held up his phone, like I was supposed to know by the blank, black screen who exactly he'd been talking to. "So, let me just put it to you this way: when the Egyptian god of the dead calls you on a fucking iPhone and requests a meeting, there's really no excuse for you _not _to show up."

...I had a feeling he wasn't referring to Robin Thicke.


	4. Chapter 4

_Of Gods and Blackbirds_  
by: fluffy pantoufle

**a/n: **HIIIIIIIIII.

I TOTALLY DIDN'T ABANDON THIS STORY GUYS. DON'T PANIC. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WERE (probably not, as i'm sure you have a fabulous life outside of tomb raider fanfiction), BUT IF SO...FEAR NOT.

let me be honest, though: the first version of this chapter i effing **hated, **which is partially why this took so long. also, my life and schedule haven't necessarily been conducive to fanfic writing, and i don't want to try and force-write chapters that will inevitably suck.

this chapter still isn't even what i wanted, but it's much closer than my initial attempt. consider it as "chapter four, part one," if you will. it's short, but i really just wanted to let you guys know that i'm still here. i don't like leaving this fic hanging for too long. if you've been waiting: thank you for being patient. i love you for reading this. i hope you enjoy this snippet.

xoxoxo

* * *

It struck me as odd that Lara was giving me the cold shoulder on the subway train. I mean, that was more or less what our friendship had been leading up to the Yamatai expedition - her staring at me with a mix of awe and disdain every time I opened my mouth to say something - but things were different now, right? Honestly, it wasn't like anything changed from the time we left Momotaro's apartment to the moment we sat down. We sat next to one another, but Lara was careful to keep a few inches of space between her leg and mine. Considering the fact that we slept together the night previous I found it disconcerting and couldn't stop the fear from rolling in.

_Okay, Alex - you're far from the most interesting bloke in the universe, but you're also better than a 24-hour-trial period. This isn't like a beta for an MMORPG where you get a test run to look for glitches. This is real fucking life, with real implications if Lara's already decided that she's tired of you tagging along. Oh, Christ, I hope that isn't what she's thinking. Please, please, please. I'll actually start praying if that's what it takes. _

"Do me a favor, Alex," Lara said quietly as she was leafing through a leather journal she'd pulled from the bottom of her backpack.

"Anything," I said, perhaps a little too eagerly. Crap.

She raised an eyebrow at the speed of my response, but brushed it off. "Remind me to call Jonah when we get above ground again. I wonder if he's seen anything off-putting in Charleston."

"Wait - Jonah lives in South Carolina now?"

"Yeah. I didn't mention that?"

"No, not at all."

"Oh," she said, and that was it. Her attention was focused squarely on whatever she'd scribbled down on the pages of that journal - judging from how tattered it looked, I guessed it was from Yamatai.

Fuck, I wanted to scream. Of course, the status of things between Lara and I shouldn't have been at the top of my priority list - we still needed to find Sam. _That _was the biggie. And to do that, we needed to meet this Egyptian god, whoever and wherever he was. Mo made it sound relatively casual, but I still couldn't keep my heart from pounding against my ribcage like it was attempting a jailbreak. Oh, and it wasn't just _any _god, either: it was the god of death. Death. Let me just say that one more time so that it sinks in - THE EGYPTIAN GOD OF DEATH.

Not only that, but to meet this deity we were riding the New York City subway. I was having a bit of a hard time letting all this sink in to an appropriate layer of my consciousness. I wasn't even a big fan of the subway, especially as a New Jersey native. More often that not, as an adolescent I paid way too much for cabs because I couldn't be bothered trying to navigate the underground. I also associated it with creepy, moaning homeless people and crime and whatnot, though this whole experience seemed much less eventful in all the best ways.

Even so, I'd love to go back in time and tell myself: _Dude, you think tweaked out hobos and some terrible graffiti are weird? At least that's something one would expect to see in the human world. Imagine yourself at twenty-four years old, recently resurrected, riding the subway with a fox, a Japanese folk hero, and, oh - the love of your life. But she doesn't know that, nor will you probably ever say that out loud. Ever. All of a sudden, a shabby guy looking for a crack rock doesn't seem so out of the ordinary, eh?_

This wasn't a bad train car by any stretch of the imagination. The seats were painted 1970s-style orange, but that had to be my one gripe about the situation. Thankfully, there were just a few passengers riding toward the front of the car, while the four of us occupied the back - two on either side of the aisle.

"I really, really, really, really don't like being in this thing," Jane whined, bouncing her knees up and down. She was sitting opposite of myself and Lara, next to Mo. "Really. This is awful. How do humans not die of panic attacks in here? It feels like being trapped and suffocated and drowned, all at the same time."

Mo rolled his eyes. His arm hung loosely at his side while Jane clutched his hand for dear life. "Give it a chance, Jane," he said, monotone. "Besides, it's not like we _want_ to call attention to the fact that we're different or anything."

"Sorry. It's just hard to be discreet when I'm ninety-percent sure I'm dying."

"Ugh. Just do me a favor, okay? Try not to be so...foxy."

I smirked. Typically, being foxy was considered to be quite the compliment - or, perhaps something a certified creeper would say to a woman while she was picking up her morning Starbucks. It really could go either way. In this situation, however, I wasn't sure that Mo was trying to be either complimentary or creepy. I was fairly certain that he didn't want us to get killed.

"No, she's right," Lara said. I was surprised to hear the sound of her voice. "There's something about this train that doesn't quite feel as it should."

"See?" Jane poked Mo in the shoulder. "Told you. Lara's perceptive, too."

"Am I the only one who thinks we're on a regular ol' train?" I shrugged. "There's Broadway posters on the walls, the floor is just a little bit sticky, and it smells like a touch of pee and stale bourbon. Doesn't that scream New York City to you? I mean, Alicia Keys and Jay-z didn't sing about that part, but it's totally New York."

Mo sighed. "You guys know how to spoil a surprise, don't you?" The three of us just stared at him, waiting for an explanation. "Damn. Okay, I don't want to alarm you, but I have to admit that I haven't been one hundred percent truthful about this train's destination."

Lara cocked her head to the side and narrowed her eyes. She used to give the same look to Whitman all the time, as if to say: what the fuck is your damage? "I thought we were going to Bistro Cairo on Avenue B."

"...well, sort of."

"Can you clarify?"

Mo shifted under Lara's gaze, ice blue and scathing. Her intensity was impressive. Even so, I did feel a twinge of sympathy for the guy. "We're going underground. Like, sub-sub-subterranean."

"Oh, well that's comforting," I remarked. "Because this day has already been one hell of an adventure. Let's just crank it up to eleven, shall we?"

"Look, can you two just trust me?" Mo frowned. "I know that it's asking a lot, and we literally just met...but I have a feeling these guys might have the information you need in order to find Sam."

"How would they know if they're so deep underground?" Lara still seemed a bit skeptical of the whole situation. To be honest, I was still irrationally envious of the guy, but I was trying not to let that influence my overall opinion of him. Mo was being far more helpful than he had to be - he didn't have to look so good while doing it, though. "And I thought you originally said that there was only _one _god - now, you're insinuating that it's plural."

Luckily for Mo, he didn't have to answer any more of Lara's questions. The lights above us flickered and dimmed to an eerie reddish hue. Jane whimpered - she buried her face in her hands, but I was surprised to see that Mo remained perfectly calm. He paid no mind to the quizzical expression that surely was painted on my face. I wondered if this was a trip he took often. Lara closed her journal and tucked it in her backpack - if she was scared, she certainly didn't show it.

"You okay, Lara?" I didn't know what else to say, and she seemed to be way more at ease than I felt. We watched as the passengers at the front of the train stood and formed a line down the aisle, as if rehearsed.

Lara's eyes were fixed on the people, taking in every languorous movement of their bodies. "That's it! Alex, it's a procession of spirits," she said, and I couldn't tell whether or not she was terrified or fascinated...or kidding. "This train carries them into the afterlife."

"Good, you're getting it now." Mo winked at Lara as he patted Jane's back in a futile effort to comfort her. "Kitsune don't respond well to this sort of energy, if you couldn't guess."

"I'm still confused," I said, pointing to the spirits. "They clearly have a one-way ticket, right?"

"Correct."

"So how are we going to get back to, you know...the living world?"

"Fret not, young revenant," Mo said. I glowered at the word. "I've got it all under control. _You _just need to stick with me, okay? And if you feel sick, let me know - not every spirit wants to be down here, and your presence is like giving them an unlocked car with the keys in the ignition."

_Oh, fantastic. Like the zoo experience wasn't enough - I'm going to need a fucking exorcist on speed dial. _

We slowed to a stop, and without the chugging sound of the train along the tracks I finally began to feel...off. I'm not sure I could explain it if I tried. I just couldn't get over the silence, especially when the passengers at the front of the car began to make their exit - it was like their feet never left the ground.

The four of us stared at the open doors, which led to a pitch black underworld beyond anything I'd ever seen. Even the air that poured in and filled the cabin was different, hot and cold and crackling with energy. I reached out for Lara's hand, but found nothing waiting for me - she'd slipped her backpack on and was clutching the straps with whitened knuckles. Though she probably didn't mean it as a slight, I couldn't help but take it as such.

"I just have one more question, and then I promise I'll shut up," I said. "How did they call you from down here?"

Mo shrugged. "Skype? Never thought to ask."

Before I had the chance to respond, Lara gasped. I followed her gaze to the doors, and standing in the place of the souls was a woman...or a snake...or perhaps a bit of both. Her body was distinctly feminine in shape, and she wore a long white gown with a golden belt. A serpentine head sat atop an elongated, snakelike neck that moved gracefully as she evaluated us, one by one. What struck me as most amazing was the long, bluish-black hair that hung from her head - it just seemed so ordinary a thing to put on such an extraordinary character.

"I can sense your concern," she said, eyes squarely on me. They were yellow and should have felt just a little bit empty, but for some reason were kinder than I anticipated. I still shivered, though - it isn't every day that a snake lady basically looks into your soul. "Rest assured, no harm will come to pass, Alex. I am Kebechet. My fathers have been looking forward to meeting you."

"Fathers? Plural?" I turned to Mo. "Care to explain?"

He shook his head and waved to Kebechet like they were bosom buddies. "Nope."

"Mo loves playing the role of trickster, does he not?" Kebechet seemed to be genuinely amused, though her expressions were tough to read. Do snakes smile? The jury's out on that one. I was just surprised that she didn't hiss when she spoke. "I am glad that he brought you here in a timely fashion - news of your journey to Yamatai has spread further than you know. Eternal blessings be, Lara Croft."

"...oh, my," Lara whispered. I never saw her so in awe. "I couldn't possibly be that important."

"I beg to differ, Lara," Kebechet said. "But no matter. We can discuss this further at another time. I have come to glean the souls of the departed, and also to welcome you as our guests. Please, come this way." For the first time, I noticed that she was carrying a long staff that looked like it had originally been the gnarled branch of an old tree. Swinging from its hooked end was a glowing lantern. She must have sensed me trying to make heads or tails of the damn thing, because she reached out and steadied the lantern with her fingertips. "These are the souls I've come to collect."

"...and they all fit in that thing?" I couldn't wrap my head around the concept.

"Why, yes. I shall explain in further detail as we walk."

Mo wasted no time exiting the train, as comfortable as if he were shuffling around in his own apartment. Ugh. Lara followed close behind him, taking a moment to stop and glance up at Kebechet's enormous serpent face. "You are...you're just stunning," Lara said, her voice small. She looked like she was meeting her favorite movie star for the first time. The goddess didn't look like she was used to receiving compliments, however, and just stared down at Lara, waiting for something else to happen.

"I think I'm just going to stay here and wait for you guys," Jane said from her seat. She was trying to use her mess of hair to hide her face from Kebechet. "Let me know when you're ready to go, okay?"

"Jane, you were just saying that being in this train felt like dying," I said, extending my hand to her. "Come on, don't be afraid."

She shook her head. "Haven't you ever noticed that snakes and foxes don't get along?"

"Yeah, but...you're not just a fox though. Right? Kitsunes are part human in some way..?"

"Alex, I'm going to pretend you didn't just say that right now." Jane crossed her arms against her chest. "So rude."

I shrugged. "Suit yourself." Wasn't she supposed to be incredibly powerful with the addition of her ninth tail? Maybe she didn't have any power down here...wherever here actually was, I couldn't say for sure.

"Come on, guys! What's taking so long?" Mo's voice sounded far away already - shit, how far did we have to go to meet these gods? I clasped my hands tightly against my chest as I made my way to Lara and Kebechet, the former of whom was looking past the train car at this new environment.

"Alex, Lara...welcome to the Duat."


End file.
